Michael Kiwanuka

Video: Michael Kiwanuka Covers Hendrix

As the story goes, rising soul-folk singer Michael Kiwanuka cut his teeth as a studio guitarist before gaining enough confidence in his own material to share that incredible voice with us last spring. That confidence bit aside, this trajectory does hold a few similarities to Jimi Hendrix, who first put sounds to tape as a session man for … Read more

Video: Michael Kiwanuka, Live at Hackney Round Chapel

Michael Kiwanuka’s recording of “I’ll Get Along” featuring former Bill Withers collaborator/legendary drummer James Gadson has been on repeat around here ever since a friend sent over the Home Again deluxe edition out now in Europe. Before hearing that take, the LP version remained a favorite we’d yet to witness (among other soothing jams off his debut) in live, full-band form. Enter this set from a recent concert at London’s Hackney Round Chapel. Last summer we had an exclusive look at Kiwanuka soaking in the natural acoustics of a similar venue, sure, but now he has plenty of musicians onstage to help flesh out the ideas on the record that got us so excited in the first place. This version of “I’ll get Along” even borrows the conga part a bit from the Gadson studio take. So, without further ado, check out great live renditions of “Tell Me A Tale” (the more jazz flute, the better, I say) and the aforementioned cut below:

Read moreVideo: Michael Kiwanuka, Live at Hackney Round Chapel

Michael Kiwanuka: “Worry Walks Beside Me” / “I Need You By My Side” It feels

It feels like each new Michael Kiwanuka soul-folk song I’ve heard so far has been post-worthy, making the decision over which tracks to pluck off his pair of debut EPs — Tell Me A Tale and I’m Getting Ready — more of an exercise in inspired restraint than distilled praise. That said, this month he made the process easier by sharing both sets in full. While the first release’s title track remains a standout, these two not-so-hidden gems deserve a shout as well: the soul-searching, midtempo “Worry Walks Beside Me” (above) and harmony-laden “I Need You By My Side” (below), both cuts featuring fresh arrangements on the soothing undercurrent of his earlier material.

Meanwhile, Kiwanuka’s debut full-length is in the works for a 2012 release via Cherrytree Records.